Wednesday, March 21, 2007

We, the people

This piece was first published in the News & Record on March 21, 2007 in what is the first Jones & Jones creative endeavor - Rob took the accompanying photo. For more of his photos, from the march and beyond, visit his blog, Life through the Rectangle.

For most of my life, I believed that patriotism was at best an American flag bumper sticker on a Suburban and at worst a concept people like Oliver North wrap themselves in to defend indefensible actions.

But I have watched President Bush dismantle our civil rights in the name of security and I have attempted the perplexing math in which billions of dollars are spent on the war each week though our troops have neither the equipment they need on the battleground nor the services they deserve upon their return. And I have come to realize that patriotism, at least as it applies to the United States, means being willing to defend the Constitution when those elected to do so seem more inclined to shred it.

In that way, I suppose I should thank the President for helping me understand that the rights of American citizenship are not just a privilege but also a responsibility. “We, the people” is not simply a pretty turn of phrase but a reminder that the ultimate check to the power of our three branches of government lies with you and me and our willingness to tell our elected officials, even the President, when enough is enough.

This past Saturday, my husband, Rob, and I drove through the snow as it piled on the shoulders of Virginia’s highways to join tens of thousands of protesters in saying that enough has long been enough, echoing the sentiment written on so many picket signs: I love my country but I am ashamed of my government.

We walked past the White House en route to the meeting spot at Constitution Gardens. There, a stage was constructed with the loudspeakers pointed away from the Vietnam Wall in order to maintain the solemnity of the memorial. Still, from where we stood the sounds of America were clear: reggae, Mamba, hip-hop and Vietnam-era protest songs, music that reflected the diversity of those who took to the streets chanting “This is what democracy looks like,” and “Support our troops. Bring them home.”

Also assembled were hundreds of counter-protesters, most in black bikers’ leathers, many wearing the insignia of Vietnam veterans. Rob and I marveled that a population so abused by our government would continue to defend it, even as it repeats the same mistreatment with a new generation of military men and women. The counter-protesters held signs that read “Peace through strength,” and “Al-Qaida appeasers on parade.” They took pot-shots at our patriotism without seeming to realize that each step we took toward the Pentagon was in support of the Iraqi vets and their families who led the march, as well as the many members of the military who continue to risk their lives overseas for a war we know to be founded on lies, a war that has inspired, not diminished, worldwide terrorism.

Like many of the people who drove hundreds of miles to exercise their Constitutional rights, neither Rob nor I are pacifists. But we do believe that war should be a last resort, never embarked upon lightly or with frivolity, and never, ever for the sole purpose of profit.

What does democracy look like? The Constitution held aloft by thousands of angry citizens; 12-year-olds holding signs that read “Teens for Peace”; black-hooded protesters in orange jumpsuits defending the rights of detainees they will likely never meet; Vietnam vets fighting on opposite sides of a picket line but for the same men and women of our military.

This is what democracy looks like.



1 comment:

Charlie said...

Sarah Jones,
I will tell you right from the beginning that from my position as a 100% disabled combat veteran of the Vietnam War and from reading your very biased article in the News and Record rag on March 21st that your wasted use of space is for spouting your left wing view points and nothing more.
You “speak” and write comments as if you are an authority with factual information when in fact you have none starting with insulting a real patriot, Oliver North who has put his life as I have on the line so you can have the Constitutional rights to protest and spout you baseless diatribe in newspapers and go and march with admitted communist, socialist and anarchist such as Code Pink, A.N.S.W.E.R. as well as Black Block.
All organization which preach the overthrow of our government and the killing of American officers by the men they lead everyday into battle as they strive to help the innocent people of Iraq.
Let me first point out I am not a republican and I thank God I am not a cut and run democrat which desires to create another disaster like they did in 1975 when they lied to the government of South Vietnam by cutting off all of the promised support to prevent the Communist North from over running the south which in the end resulted in the wholesale slaughter of over 4,000,000 innocent people in Cambodia and South Vietnam.
The American service man and woman had won the war in Vietnam and the democrats sold out the people of South Vietnam and thus Cambodia and Laos.
If silly foolish people like you and the people you admire so much that you marched with them in Washington and well as the Democrats have your way and our troops are forced our of SW Asia then watch out!
You blindly ignorant fools will see the Muslim Fascist continue on a murderous spree that started with the taking over of our Embassy in Iran during the Carter administration will make the slaughter in SE Asia look like a drive by shooting in Los Angeles! Then they will attack America again on a scale like never before seen in American history.
Sarah, did you not go to the various websites ran by the hate groups you write so fondly about as being so patriotic? No, I don’t think you took the time as I would bet money you did not do your research when you made the tactless remark about two wounded American soldiers a day were being castrated due to their wounds.
Where did you get your facts and show us your resources as I say again your comments are based on more propaganda that has been drilled into that closed mind of yours.
You are so unaware of the original plans the groups you so blindly call patriotic had planned originally for their big anti-war, anti-troop, anti-establishment protest march to mark the 40th anniversary of one of the biggest communist controlled marches of the Vietnam War as well as the fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq which I will agree was very poorly mismanaged by Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and George Bush.
But politics aside these groups like A.N.S.W.E.R. and Black Block on their websites vowed to desecrate and damage as much as possible starting with the Vietnam Memorial, the Monument most sacred to Vietnam veterans with chisels, paint and muratic acid.
They even bragged if they could not get past the human wall of Vietnam veterans who vowed to protect and defend with our lives if need be as well as all the priceless Monuments within that most hallowed ground they would use paint gun balls to shoot past the police, rangers and veterans.
The protester vowed to have over a 100,000 protesters there in force with a number of radical Muslim groups helping along with Jane Fonda and Wesley Clark among others. They were lucky by Park Service estimates to have between 1 and 2,000 protesters with the protester's excuse that the weather was to bad the day before, waaaahhhh!! Spoiled brats.
You as the other biased news services falsely claimed that there were many thousands of protesters expressing their 1st Amendment rights, the rights the American fighting man and service woman has bled and countless numbers have given their lives so you can protest.
But not to defile and vandalize our most sacred Monuments as they have been repeatedly all over America, but no Sarah, you never mention those important facts and I can back up my facts all day long.
You and others in our left wing anti-military as well as our Democratic controlled Congress and Senate along with corrupt Republicans make false claims about how your kind stand behind our troops and you only want the best for them as the democrats strive to cut funding and support at a horrendous rate and people like you stab them in the back.
Did you not see the photos the other day where the very same kind of people you call patriots were burning an effigy of an American soldier with a sign in the background that said No Country, No USA? Yeah, you and your husband pick great people to show your patriotism with.
I will now close in letting you know I was in Washington for several reasons on March 16th and 17th and the first reason was to protect the Wall as I wrote above. The second and very important reason as was the 30,000 plus Vietnam, Iraqi vets and true Americans was to honestly show our troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan that we DO stand behind them 100% and last, but not least it was time for the silent majority to start speaking up and be heard for your kind have been running your rat traps for way too long.
Will you dare print my rebuttal as I speak the truth and I can back up what I just wrote with facts where your commentary is based on empty hollow words? What have you and your husband ever truly done in the best interest of American besides march with communist and socialist who wish to see the downfall of American values? I have stepped up and raised my right hand and proudly served this great Country and I would do it again if I was able to.
This is what real democracy looks like,
Charles R. Gant
Vietnam Veteran 67-78
God Bless America